Thirty+

I'm very excited to announce some big news - I'm pregnant!
Due in September!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off my thirties! To announce the news at work today (and celebrate my birthday) I brought in pink & blue rice krispies treats. It was funny to see people's reactions and if they "got" the blue/pink nod before I told them. Also, if you know me, it's a huge deal that I "baked" anything from scratch. Ha! Luke thought his wife had been captivated by aliens last night as I slaved away in the kitchen. Maybe my "mommy" instincts are already setting in?


3 Perfect 10's!

Tomorrow I turn 30! Woah! Today's my last day as a twenty-something. I'm looking forward to a whole new decade of fun and adventure. I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday with friends on Saturday night and with family on Sunday. Both get-togethers entailed lots of pizza and cake (a girl can never get enough cake, right?). I loved the birthday message on the cake below...

Happy Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day! Every four years we get an extra day to balance out our calendars. I always wonder what it would feel like to have a leap year birthday? I don't think I'd like only getting to "officially" celebrate my birthday every four years. I heard on the radio that Justin Bieber is a leap day baby. Not sure if it's true, but that would make the poor guy like 5 years old. Ha ha! I hope everyone has a great day & seizes the opportunity to do something fun with their extra 24 hours!

Arabella On West: Business Cards

I also designed business cards for Emma and her husband from Arabella On West. They wanted a clean, modern design that provided all of the functional aspects of a traditional business card. We landed on a two-sided option that utilized part of the Australian map to pinpoint the hotel's exact location in Adelaide. Emma had the cards printed herself in Dubai. Love them!

South Australia

Australia has always been on my "wish list" of places to visit. I don't know a ton about the "outback", but I do know that it's a long flight from Chicago. I hope to get there one day! Arabella On West (I just designed their logo) is located in Adelaide, SA and is within a block from the beach. The boutique hotel is conveniently located 10-15 minutes from the Adelaide International Airport and city centre. Sounds like Adelaide is great for dining, outdoor markets, museums, parks, beaches, shopping and even golf. Here are a few snapshots from the hotel's grand opening - check out that pool! The hotel opened in 2011 and is currently taking reservations...

©2012 Photos courtesy of Arabella On West

Arabella On West: Logo Design

Almost two years ago now, Emma contacted me about a unique branding project for a boutique hotel she was opening in South Australia. She found Keg Design through a search on the web - I was thrilled and a bit amazed since she lived half way across the world! I jumped at the opportunity to work on the project and have really enjoyed the journey. Emma and her husband renovated the hotel property all the while living in Dubai. That takes some serious dedication and organization! It's funny, I'm just realizing that I've never actually spoken to Emma on the phone, but I do feel like I've gotten to know her over the last two years. She's a great client to work for and is a very talented & ambitious entrepreneur. It's been a privilege to be a part of the Arabella On West project. The final logo design (below), is being utilized in a number of ways, including on the hotel's website and property signage.

The theme Emma challenged me with was "contemporary middle eastern." I took inspiration from Arabic and Moroccan designs, while keeping a "South Beach" modern twist to everything. The hotel offers long term and short term accommodations. More details on the decor and ammenities soon. Here are a few of the "runner-up" designs that I explored for Arabella On West:




Happy Valentine's Day!

1500 Pins!

Have I told you guys about my Pinterest addiction yet? If not, it's because I was too busy pinning. I love it! I joined the social site in late 2011. The notion of having your own virtual pin board is genious. And I love that it's more visual than it is copy focused. It's a great place to find inspiration. You can follow all of my pinning escapades here. And join here if you're a a newbie...

Blackberry Clean Up

There comes a time when you just need to clean out your phone (and upgrade to a new one). I've been squeaking the last bit of life out of my Blackberry these days, so I'm planning on upgrading to an iPhone. As I was going through all of my photos, I was shocked to see so many random captures. It's a nice reminder of funny moments or (in)significant events. I thought I'd share a few:

Puppy mess (poor Mr. Tiger)
Fish Bar in Lakeview (tiny, pricey, yummy)
Obsession with nail stickers (as mentioned here)
Chamberlain (boutique hotel in West Hollywood)
Photo shoot in Malibu (perks of work)
Mercury Cougar (classic model)
Wisconsin prairie (the Midwest can be pretty)
Ocktoberfest (husband ate this, not me)
Girt & The Goat (finally tried it out in November)
80's Ex'cla-ma'tion (now exclusively at Walgreens)
Abbey (who could say no to that face?)

Destination Welcome Bags

Jordan and Ryan put together welcome bags for each of their guests traveling to the Dominican Republic. Each bag included a letter from the couple thanking guests for coming and included details for nightly events. Other items included custom lip balm, aspirin, sunblock, antacids, candy, snacks and Dominican Republic postcards for guests to send back to friends at home. Super cute!

Photos ©2012 Keg Design

Destination Wedding Invitation: Jordan & Ryan

I absolutely love how Jordan and Ryan's destination wedding invitations turned out! The full suite embodied the couple's vision of a sophisticated beach celebration. For the design, I started with the postage stamp element I created for Jordan's bridal shower invitations. This design element created a sense of consistency across communications and was the perfect vehicle to house their names, wedding date and location on all wedding pieces. The 5x7 invitation card featured an illustration of the Dominican Republic island. A star marked their wedding location in Punta Cana. The 2-sided RSVP postcard was probably my favorite piece. The front showcased an overhead photograph of their resort - Paradisus Punta Cana - which I treated with a painterly effect for a more graphic look. The back of the postcard housed the couple's return address as well as a reply section for guests. The shimmery silver envelopes tied all of the components together and featured the postage stamp design too.

Photos ©2012 Keg Design

Engagement Session: Jordan & Ryan

Last year, I started blogging about my friend Jordan's wedding (remember these pretty bridal invitations?). Since I keep finding myself dreaming about tropical destinations, I thought I'd start sharing the rest of their details with you. It's never too late, right? Jordan and Ryan had a beautiful destination wedding in Punta Cana, Domincan Republic last May. Prior to the wedding, they had engagement photographs taken by Jessica of Jessica Stacy Photography in Chicago...